Method of and machine for printing on collapsible articles



June 26, 1956 w. F. GRUPE 2,

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLES Filed Feb. 9. 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet l Tuzrl. I

INVENTOR M1 7 -A 0/ E BY M { ORNEY W. F. GRUPE June 26, 1956 METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLES 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1954 INVENTOR M 6-K uPE ATTO N EY W. F. GRUPE June 26, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 9. 1954 INVENTOR W F. 6-11 up ATTORNEY June 26, 1956 w. F. GRUPE 2,751,841

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLES Filed Feb. 9, 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet Tlcri Sl'o ham *3 INVENTOR 4 {GA ufiE ATTORNEY W. F. GRUPE June 26, 1956' METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLES Filed Feb. 9, 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR M): GA up E La z7 96 ATTORNEY W. F. GRUPE June 26, 1956 METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 9, 1954 INVENTOR W 7 6-11 ufi BY ATfORNEY w. F. GRUPE 2,751,841

THOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLES June 26, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Feb. 9, 19551 5. Jim

INVENTOR LU. 7 6- ups ATT; RNEY W. F. GRUPE Jun 26, 1956 METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLES 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Feb. 9, 1954 INVENTOR w/ wQz/PE ATTORNEY nited States atent NETHOD OF AND MACHKNE FOR PRINTING 0N COLLAPSELE ARTICLES William F. Grupe, Lyndhurst, N. J., assignor to Peerless Roll Leaf Company, Inc., Union City, N. 3., a corpora tion of New Jersey Application February 9, 1954, Serial No. 409,143

13 Claims. (Cl. 101-44) This invention relates to a method of and machine for printing on collapsible or flexible articles such as hollow containers.

At present, according to common practice, and as described in Patent No. 2,491,947, flexible bottles are mechanically crushed, thus enabling a flat die to imprint a design on one side.

As the die is raised the crushing means release the container, permitting it to expand to its normal wall position. If a second or more colors are to be applied to the reverse side, the container must be crushed for each color.

There are no means available to insure the same crushed position of the walls in relation to one another on the bed to insure close, accurate imprinting of each color in register to another to create a clean design. The crease or fold positions of the container may vary with each crush. Pursuant to this invention, the container is evacuated to bring the walls or sides of the container into parallel contact with one another, thereby materially reducing the hazards of marring or breaking down of the structure of the walls of the bottle that occurs when the bottles are mechanically crushed.

In the stamping operation, after the first color has been applied the bottle can be moved into progressive positions for other colors on either side with no variation possible, due to the fact thatthe two walls are held in mechanical contact with one another, resulting in practically a solid single structure to take the subsequent impressions.

In addition, to further insure accuracy of register, guide fingers may be provided to hold or locate the bottom end of the container-that is, the end remote from the mounting end.

The method of the invention enables the automatic' printing of collapsible articles in an accurate and efiicient manner. Pursuant to the method of the present invention,

the article to be printed is positioned in a machine and indexed therein from station to station for progressive printing operations performed at predetermined stations. A number of stations may be provided in the machine, at one or more of which one face of the article may be partly or fully printed; at other stations the printing of said face may be completed or the other face of the article may be printed. Both faces may be partly or fully printed at one station.

By way of illustration only, if six stations are provided, the article may be automatically indexed from the first, or loading station, to four printing stations, and then to a. final discharge station. In the example just stated, all four printing stations may be utilized for simultaneous or successive printing on one or both faces of the article.

Pursuant to the present invention, a rotor or hub is provided in the machine for carrying the articles to the stations therein, and means are provided for moving the rotor into serial registry with stations in the machine. Die members and opposed bed members are disposed at certain stations, and means are provided for moving the die and bed members toward opposed faces of the article 2,751,841 Patented June 26, 1956 2 at such stations for performing the printing operation thereon. A vacuum means is preferably provided so that, While the printing operations are performed, the article will be held under vacuum.

Pursuant to the present invention, a rotor is provided and is disposed for axial movement in a given plane in the machine, and the article to be printed is secured to the rotor or to a holder fixed to the rotor. The rotor is serially indexed in the machine in a station-to-station arrangement which will automatically register the article to be printed in line With the printing units disposed at stations of the machine. Means are provided, synchronized for automatic action at such stations in timed relation to the stop-start sequence of movement of the rotor, to move the bed or die members (or both) at such stations onto the article to be printed. The rotor is provided with means to exhaust the interior of the article so that it will be essentialy drawn down to a solid thickness defined by the walls thereof which would normally be spaced apart. The article is maintained under vacuum at the printing stations and may there be printed with successive complementary indicia to thus progressively print the article. Such arrangement will be found convenient, for example, in printing complementary indicia areas on the article, such as complementary overlapping or blending indicia, as well as indicia areas of different color. The range of printing variants possible pursuant to the invention will be found to be practically infinite. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an en elevational view, partly fragmentary, the one form of machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of an infinite variety of forms of articles which may be printed pursuant to invention.

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional front elevational view of said machine taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3a is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on line 3a-3a of Fig. 3,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken' at line 4-4 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing certain parts of the machine open corresponding to parts shown closed in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken of the die and die holder elements in their closed positions,

Fig. 9 is a top plan view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8,

Fig. 10 is a view corresponding to Fig. 9, but showing the parts in open position,

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary plan view taken on line 1 3-13 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken on'lin e 14-14 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 15 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line" 15-15 of Fig. 13.

In the drawings a machine is shown byway of example only illustrating certain embodiments of the invention in- It will be apparentfrom the corporating the invention. disclosure herein that 'the invention may be embodied in other machines. The machine 10 (Fig. '1)-- shown in the drawings, comprises a framehaving horizontal supports 11 and 12 and vertical end supports 13,14, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The center portion 'of the machine may be provided with suitable supporting base members 15-16 (Fig. 3) for further'supp'ort of certain parts '(such as a beiscti'r'edQto he'carriedjhereby to the respective stations ofthefmachih'e' Statiomtoi-station movement of the rotor may be obtained by suitable means such as, for example, afG'errevav or other index or escapementwh'eelll (Fig.

3) actuated intermittently by a Geneva driver 23, or the like,whichmay be driven from'a suitable source','such as indicated by the chain 24 connected to a motor or other source (not'ishown). Any suitable clutchme'ahsImay be interposedbetween. the chain 24 an'dthe driver 23... For example,i;chain 24 mayl. be keyed to one part 25 of a clutchithe other part 261 off said clutchbeing keyed. to the sha'ft"27j to which thedriyer unit 23. may be keyed.

Thevertical end supports 1 3.---1 4v of the frame may be furtherconnec'ted,iasiildicatedrat 31-32 in Fig. 3, by a niedial'tie bari3tl ('Fis. 4.and.1 2)i Therotorltl is preferably" journaledonithe bar. 30'; suitable bushings 33, :34 (Fig. 3) may be disposed intermediate th'e'rotor 2 and the tie 'bai" 30'to'per'mit the rotor to freely rotate uiaon the latter; 7 Afspacing-collar 35 may'bekeyed to" the tie bar3t) as at;36,at one side oftthe rotor 26,1and a vacuum lincasing 37 maybe formed 'uni'tarilywithor secured to thecenter supportingbaselfil at theotherside of the rotor.

The vacuum lin'ecasing 37' (see Figs.,1l and 3) is pro vided with a port 33, one endof which may be'conne'cted by'meansfragment'ai'ily indicated at 39 (Fig' 11) to a' suitable vacuum. .source;su'ch as a pump (not shown), The other end 2810f Lthe portjS opens intolan arc recess 49 on flat face 60 of casing 37. The rotor 29' is provided.

wit h1a plurality of hollow. rods or other flexible container holders 41; 44 '(Fig: 12 the free ends? of which ,are'

adapted to'h'ave the" articlesvll positioned thereon'or secured thereto as shown in figs. 5' and 4, for rotation with the rotor to the respective stations of the machine as for example-marked in Fig; 5 and'hereinafter more par ticularly described. V r

I -As shown in Figs. .4 and 5, therotorzti is keyed to the escapement Wheel 22, the latter beingpro'vided withtcon venti'onalradial .slotsto'be engaged'by the rolle'rofi the driver 23 (see Fig. 5) to progressively move the flexible containers 20 from station tostation. It will beappre ciated that, by varying the number of slotsjn" the 'escape-,

mentfwheel 22, or by similarexpedieritathe rotor 20 may be moved to a greater or lesser number of stations in'the' machine, as desired.

in the form shown injF igffi for illustration orily, there are six stations, of which one would be the leadingstat'ibn,

The printing operation may bejperformedby any suit-1f ,em q n. o x mn e h w figsi .4 an 8, by the use of a die 46 disposed in line withoneface of the b e ,1 t be, p i -wiped 5. dispose at th ppposite face thereof. The means for mounting the ligand ed may. herafi dimm thesp pifie. examples sripwntin thedrawings, as will be apparent fromlaconsid ration oi the dravyingsand thgfgllpwipg description thereof, without departing from the invention. r 7 r1 I T a-r tt e die-56, isshor n secured .0.,ft

mej45 pro itypf manipnlatio .",Said

in ny esire L'srme ientmanaerd he die block 50;

are. seatedinieeesses.in.p1ate 53,,said bolts (Fig.8) passing freely through slots (not shown) in the clamping wedge 82 and into engagement with threaded apertures in the die block 50. The wedge 82 is positioned intermediate the front wall 84 of the base plate 53 and the die block unit 50, so that movement of said wedge intermediatethewallfi vof plate 53 and the block SGyvill serve to adjust the position of the die 46, as willb e' apparent from an examination df'Figl 8f the b'olfs l serving as means of securing the parts in that position. The claniri ing Wedge. 82is,' in tiifn,'so moved intermediate 'm'embe'rs 84 and 50, and held in adjusted position: by belt or other means carried by the member 84 and engaging the clamp- FI'QIHQASCjS firovidedwitha handl 55 for facility of manipulation; Q

Said frame 4-5 has cured thereto-in any.--.de s ired cor convenient manrieifthe bed. .blooli'lSiiLCsaid, be'dnblock may have heater and thermostat elements corresponding with 47 and 43 of biack- 50, formed thereinsotthat when vdesired, block 55 could be, heated and used as a mountiforadie member instead oi...the hed 5.2). The blo.ck.l59' is secured to plate 5'3 preferably.bynmeansuindicated at 81", passing freely thlioi ghrslotsl-intthe clampingiwedge 82 andinto-eng'age ment with threadediaperturslin the blocIt S't)". he wedgfi .82Js positioned intermediate front wall 84' of plate 53fi .a nd theQblock 5.0, movement of'the wedge 82 (comparable m that oi wedge 32 described) enabling the adjustment of bedlfiltrelatiyeitodie 46,'the wedge 32" beingtheldrin,adjustedlpositioii by means 49% Pursuant to the presentlinveiitio nfthe hollow radsef othfir, container; holders 41 are, secured atjtheir 'iawer' ends t h mien-2s .(Eig. 1 1 wherein they communicate with; PQrtSfil 'Whichlopen'ontor the outer fiat face 58- 0 the rotorwlrii inrradial registrylwith the arcj-reeess marinevacuumlinelcasing 37; ;The oute'r ends of the ports; "61f net/be pIQvide'd with rings L62; 63 spiingmi'ged as a't'6'4 mto sliding contact with the face 69 ot casinggfll l \ReferringttQFig A, which is a pai'tly'sectiohal, felevationali-rhorizontalt-view taken ion line 4-.4 of F 3,

it wilLbeJioted tha't-t he machineahbwh time drawin s- 1 68 "foithe otherr-left .handside'of thembhirle} icomf j prises, as shown in Fig. 4, inner plate"'69ger ieially coin parable to plate 67.: it

It 'willlbe apiaieciafed ner plates, 67, d9, carry the complementary chase'oi'bed units,,whih,L-wheri brought together andont'the flexible containers 21ica rried therebetwee'n by thfrot'oi zil, Per

fornilthe piiriting'ioperations'at the'resrieetive printing stationsiof the machine r Pursuant, to the tip/en ree; means are; 'pro yided 7 for actuatmgthe innerplates 67,169 (andth'ereby th'chas e and bed units) rtowardiea'choth'er"arid aga'inst the opposit] facesiof the flexible" container'sfl l brgugpjt' into stations" of iniierplla es,"

formed unitarily therewith'or se- V to perform the printing operation. Rotor 20 is actuated to intermittently advance the flexible containers 21 to registry with the respective stations of the machine. Thus, for example, assuming station 1 (Figs. 4 and 5) to be the loading station of the machine, the flexible container would be positioned on the free end of rod 41 which is fixed to the rotor 20 by force fitting the open neck portion of the container over the free end of rod or by otherwise securing the same thereto.

If the machine, as shown in Fig. 5, is set up for four printing stations, it will have six stations in all, of which two (the loading and discharge stations) may conveniently be non-printing, and in that case there would be six container holders or hollow rods (Fig. 12 omits the fourth and sixth rods which would be opposite the numbers 42 and 43). The rods are fixed to and hence rotate with rotor 20, so that they will connect with the vacuum source only when the rod ports 61 at the face of rotor 20 register with are recesses 40 on the fiat face 60 of the fixed vacuum line casing 37. Thus the objects 21 fixed to the rods are not in vacuum at the loading station; the leading edge of vacuum recess 40 is disposed intermediate that station and the first printing station (Fig. 12). Thus, by the time the object 21 arrives at the first printing station (from the loading station) it will have been connected to the vacuum system and be under vacuum; it is maintained under vacuum from then until just before reaching the discharge station, when the port 61 for the rod carrying the object 21 will have reached the end of vacuum recess 40. At the discharge station of the machine the object will no longer be under vacuum.

At station No. 2 the first printing operation might take place. That printing operation may be performed with the use of suitable printing mechanism such as, for example, shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, wherein a roll leaf hot stamping printing mechanism is shown associated with the printing die 46, for printing on one face of the flexible container and against the bed 52 of the opposite unit 53 of the machine. The particular printing mechanism used may be of any suitable type with which the invention may be conveniently employed. The form of the said printing mechanism, shown in detail in Fig, 5, for association with the die 46, is generally designated by reference character 70 and comprises (as further shown in Fig. 13) a supply roll 71 of roll leaf 72 which is wound by the driving reel 73 across the rods 74, 75 which guide the roll leaf 72 across the face of the die 46 and keep it normally spaced therefrom. It will be appreciated, from observing Fig. 13, that if the entire printing mechanism 70 is moved toward the bed 52, the roll leaf 72, being yieldable, will flex slightly while the die 46 presses the roll leaf onto the container 21 as shown in Fig. 4.

This operation will print the matter outlined by the die onto the container in the color of the roll leaf 72, as will be readily appreciated. This operation may be repeated at the successive printing stations of the machine and by this means successive colors (or successive die impressions of the same color) may be printed on one or both sides of the flexible containers 21. Suitable means may be provided for intermittently advancing the roll leaf 72 across the guide rods 74, 75 (and therefore across the die 46). Such means may for example, as shown in Fig. 13, comprise an air or other power source cylinder 76 actuating the rack 77 into engagement with a pinnion 78 (Fig. keyed to the shaft 79 of driving reel 73, the roll leaf 72 passing between andbeing driven by the feed roll 7 3 and the matching feed roll 73a, which may be of rubber and may be'main'tained against roll 73 under spring tension or otherwise. The roll leaf passes the reform for discharge in the direction indicated by the arrow 122. g g

Supplementary means may be provided for assuring accurate registration of the containers 21 with the printing die and bed members at the printing stations of the machine. One form ofmeans suitable for this purpose is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. It will be readily understood, from a description thereof, that other means, suited to the same end, may be substituted pursuant to this invention. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the registering means may comprise a pair of centering fingers 85, 86 keyed to pinions 89, 90, pivoted as at 87, 88, for example, so that the fingers will move in unison to their open position shown in Fig. 10 or closed position (into engagement with container 21 to center the latter) as in Fig. 9. Rotation of the pinions, 39-90 may be obtained by any suitable means, as for example, by keying link 91 to one of said pinions, the free end of said link being engaged by a pin 92 carried by the other unit. The pin 92 may be spring actuated as shown in Fig. 9 so as to preclude harsh or excessive movement of the fingers 85, 86. Pin 92 is secured to one of the units and fingers S5, 86 to the other. On movement of members 53-S3' toward each other, the pin 92 will engage the free end of the link 91 and cause the fingers 85, 86 to move together and onto the container 21 to thus center the same intermediate the die and bed members 46, 52. Any suitable means may be provided to normally hold the fingers 85, 86 in their open position shown in Fig. 10, as for example, by providing a spring 93 engaging the link 91 and urging the same to the position at which said fingers will be open. Upon movement of the units 5353 apart, the fingers S5, 86 will likewise automatically move apart, releasing the flexible container 21 for rotation to the next station of the machine.

Pursuant to the invention, means are provided for moving the center plates 67, 69 (Fig. 4) together for the printing operation, and then apart, to release the flexible containers from the printing elements, all in timed relation to the movements of the rotor 20. Said means for moving the inner plates 67, 69 toward and away from each other may be of any suitable construction, and may, as shown in the drawing, cooperate with the bearing shaft 30 which is fixed at its free ends 31, 32, to the end supports 13, 14, said shaft constituting a bearing for the inner plates 67, 69 and associated parts. The latter, as shown in Fig. 6, comprise, for each of the plates 67, 69, journal members which will facilitate slidable movement of said plates on the bearing shaft and further means to key the plates against movement at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. For the purpose just described, the inner plate 67 is coupled to outer slide plate 96 (Figs. 3 and 6); likewise inner plate 69 at the left hand side of the machine is coupled to an outer slide plate 97. Plates 67, 96, are secured together by the elongated collar 98 which may be fixed to said plates as indicated at 99 (Fig. 6). Suitable bearings 100, may be interposed between collar 98 and shaft 30 to insure free sliding movement of the frame 66 on said shaft. Movement of the inner plate 67 on the shaft as generally indicated by the arrow 101 of Fig. 6 is attained by suitable means such as links 102, 103 (Fig. 4) connected as at 104, 105 with the inner plate 67, and connected at their opposite ends 106, 107 to the ends 108, 109 of links 110, 111 connected as at 112, 113 to the vertical end support 14.

It will be apparent, from a consideration of Fig. 4, that, since the vertical end support 14 is fixed, any move ment of the points of connection 114, 115, of the links 102, 103 with links 110, 111 will cause the inner plate 67 to reciprocate as indicated by arrow 101 of Fig. 6. Such movement of the points of connection of the links may be obtained by any suitable means, to thus move the inner plate 67 and thus the die 46 toward and away from the flexible container 21 at the predetermined times required for the printing operation. For example, the free ends of a forked bracket 116 (Figs. 5 and 4) may be connected with said pivot points 114, 115, the stem 117 of said bracket (Figs; 5 and 6) being connected to the plunger 118- of a cylinder 119 which is pivoted as at 120 on the support 121 on which the machine is mounted.

By use of any suitable control means (not shown) the plunger 118 of the cylinder may be reciprocated in timed synchronisrn with the cycles of movement .of-the rotor 26 so that the inner plate 67 may be reciprocated at the times. desired for the printing .or other operations at the respective stations of the machine above mentioned.

The plate 69 for the left hand side of the machine (Fig. 4) may be provided with corresponding links and associated parts (which are given the same reference characters as those associated with frame .67). The lower ends 123, 124 of the :frame plate 67 (a similar arrangement may be used for the left hand plate .69 of the machine) are preferably keyed for sliding on the guide.-

way or spline bar 125 to preclude accidental rotation of solenoid or the like (not shown).

The die and bed members 46, 52 may be secured :to the chase and bed units, 53, 53' (Fig. 3) which in turn may be pivoted atone end 131 :(Fig. 6) on .the sliding frames 65, 6%. The other ends of said units may be pivotally connected, as at .126, to connected link members, 132, 133. The connected link members 1'32, 133 in turn may be connected as at 134 to the outer plate 96 of the frame 65 (or similar arrangement may be used with plate Q7). The links 132, 133 may be connected as at 135 to a secondary point of connection defined by a latch 136 whereby said links may be connected in a straight line as shown in Fig. 3 and 6'to dispose the:units 53, 53' in proper position in the machine, or the said links may be moved to an out-.of-line position such as shown in Fig. 7. Said latch 136 may be of any suitable form, suchas for example is shown-in Fig. 14 to comprise a spring actuated pin 140 adapted, on registration of :the links, to be received in a recess 141 in link 132. The

pin 1% may terminate exteriorly in a head 1'42 and normally held atop housing .143 in which the pin 140 is movable. I

To disengage links 132, 133, the pin 140 is retracted from recess 14E; the handle 144 of the link13-3 may then be grasped to break the straight line connection of the links as sh wn in Fig. 7. This position of the links results in a tilting of the unit 53 to facilitate the insertion orremoval of the .dicor bed members therefrom.

The present invention, as will be apparent fromia consideration of the foregoing description and therappended claims, is directed, broadly, to the printing, in successive printing stages of plastic articles which are collapsible. The invention is not limited to the specificmeans shown in the drawings by way of example only for attaining this end resulL nor isit limitedtocontainersor other types of plastic articles. The invention is adapted to be broadly applied inthe plastic field to the printing of articles which maybe collapsed. Wherever herein used, such terms as articles, containers and the like shall not be deemed in any wayto limit the invention to any specific class of objects. The term plastics as used herein shall not be' deemed to limit the invention 'to presently known-plastic materials or products, the invention being broadly applicable to all collapsible articles, without limitation as to their :form or to the materialof which :the same =may hemade.

The .:device herein described may :be used to imprint multicolorsconrcontainers by thezmethodset forthin the application filed-under Ser; Non-352,865 on'fMaysl, 1,955.,

entitled Method of Printing Blown Bottles wherein I am the applicant.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1, Apparatus for printing ,indicia on open-mouthed containers of the typehavi-ng a base and flexible side walls, comprising a movable carrier having a plurality of con-v tainer closures, each constructed to receive and support one of the containers, a container printing station beside the carrier, stop {motion drive mechanism for operating said carrier to bring said elosuressuccessively into register with said station, means including 'a vacuum duct through each closure for impressing a vacuum on each container as it is disposed .at the printing station, .to thereby move the container walls into contact with each other so as to present, essentially, while under vacuum, a single thickness combined wall to take he printing impression, printing impression means at said station including cooperati-ng printing members, at least one of which is yieldable,

and intermittently operated mechanism synchronized with said carrier stop drive mechanism for moving said printe i-ng means against said articles :while they are, so disposed atthe printing station-under vacuum.

2- In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said container printing station comprising a yieldable printing bed at one side of the ,carrier and a printing die at the other side thereof and aligned with the bed, said bed and die being so moved against opposite sides of the article so disposed atthe printing station.

3. :In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said bed and die eing so moved simultane s y g inst opposite sides of the article :so that aid die may print thereon and being then moved away from said article, and means engaging the containers qtojhold them in registry with the printing die while the latter is moved thereagainst and disengaged from the container when the printing die is moved away therefrom.

4. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said container closures comprising hollow tubes radially secured to the carrier and extending therefrom the containers being secured to the free .endsof the tubes remote from the carrier. 7

-5. In an apparatus as .set forth in claim 1, one .or more additional printingstations in said apparatus, and printing means at said first mentioned and additional stations for printing idiciaof different colors onto the containers, said vacuummeans hold n the containers under continued vacuum at said :printingstations and in movement between :the printing stations so that multi-color impressions-may be made ,on the containers.

;6. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1,;additional printing stations .in said apparatus, r ain of aid sta ion being located besideone side of the carrier and the others being located beside the opposite side thereof, and printins means at said stations, so that the containers may be imprin d on ot sid thereo 7. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said printingstationmeans at said station comprising a die member disposed beside a first side f-the carrier and a yieldable bed member beside the opposite side thereof, and an dditio al pr nting tation in s i apparatus c mp sing a die member disposed beside said opposite side of the arrier w c 'the bed m mbe o the tment on station :is disposed.- sa d dit on print g s o ha n a yieldable ibed member disposed besidesaidfirst side of 9. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, means at saidrprinting stations for registering :said containers therewith.

.10. In an apparatus asgs tf t fl ifi c m ,.saidm an at said p in ing s ations f r gisterin a d in s therewith including fingers at said printing station and means to move said fingers into engagement with the container when the printing means are moved against the container for printing thereon and for moving said fingers away from said container to free the same after printing has occurred.

11. The method of printing indicia on open-mouthed containers of the type having a base and flexible side walls, comprising the steps of positioning a container on a closure member having a vacuum line therethrough, and imposing a vacuum on the container to move the walls thereof into contact with each other so as to present, essentially, a single thickness combined wall, and moving a printing means of a given color against one face of the container and a yieldable bed member against an opposite face thereof simultaneously, moving the printing means and bed member away from the container, moving the container between a second printing means of different color and a second yieldable bed member, while maintaining the vacuum in said container, and moving the second printing means and bed members against opposite faces of the container simultaneously, to thereby print indicia of different colors onto the container, while it is under vacuum.

12. In the method set forth in claim 11, the further steps of holding the container in registered position with the first die member While the latter is moved thereagainst and again in holding the container in registered position with the second die means while the latter is moved thereagainst.

13. The method of printing indicia on open-mouthed containers of the type having a base and flexible side walls, comprising the steps of positioning a container on a closure member having a vacuum line therethrough and imposing a vacuum on the container to move, the Walls thereof into contact with each other so as to present, essentially, a single thickness combined Wall, and moving printing impression means at least one of which is yieldable against the container while it is held under vacuum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,870,825 Sprague Aug. 9, 1932 2,203,572 Johnson June 4, 1940 2,515,854 Bodkin July 19, 1950 2,613,594 Emerson Oct. 14, 1952 2,634,972 Kelly Apr. 14, 1953 

